Sydney ’16: Sunset Song review: Plenty of talent on show and enough heart to warrant a viewing.
Deyn gives a commanding performance in this visually stunning adaption of life in rural Scotland
Sunset Song review
If you’re based on the “best Scottish book of all time” then you’re going to have your work cut out for yourself. Sunset Song has one such legacy to live up to, but shamefully I must admit to not having heard of the novel prior to watching the film. This should have allowed for a purer viewing experience, but there is one thing clear when watching Sunset Song and that’s the fact that it is so clearly based on a novel. Terence Davies‘ effort is obviously dedicated and passionate, but there is also an inescapable coldness reminiscent of his earlier films.
This sprawling epic charts the life of Chris Guthrie (Agyness Deyn), a young woman who lives in trying times. Essentially a coming of age drama in the run-up to World War I, we are given a dark slice of what life must have been like for a young Scottish woman living in rural Scotland. From her abusive alcoholic father (Peter Mullan), her depressed mother, her interfering aunt (Linda Duncan McLaughlin), to finally settling down with her own husband Ewan (Kevin Guthrie), Chris leads a life of difficulty and challenge.
Sunset Song review
It’s often powerful, but the film soon loses its power as we are subjected to scene after scene of misery and pain. This may very well be a true reflection of rural life where every waking hour is filled with work, but it is more likely that the most dramatic moments have been brought forth from the novel and put on the big screen. It results in a film that is reliant on constant drama, but still manages to have a calm and tedious pace.
Thematically we are given skilful examinations of child rearing and the place of women at the time, while also touching upon anti-war sentiment and Scotland’s place in Britain. It’s all very much still relevant today in one form or another, but the transitions between the themes are jarring. A novel would certainly have time to gradually evolve its focus, whereas here things happen very suddenly. The romantic portion of the film quickly makes way for a saddening pre-climax as Ewan struggles with being labeled a coward for not signing up to fight in the war, only to be drafted anyway. This is the most passionate part of the film, but we literally cut to a scene where Ewan starts taking out his grievances on Chris and have no time to emotionally adjust.
Sunset Song review
In places, Sunset Song shows its greatness, mostly due to the incredible performance of Deyn. She commands the screen, even when her heroine is downtrodden, which completely enables her to grow into a strong and admirable woman. There are subtleties to Deyn’s portrayal, as she endures great hardship but often keeps her emotions in check. Mullan is as brilliant as one would expect, while Guthrie also shows solid range as his character shows great love, uncertainty, and then cruelty, even if the transitions are not afforded to him in the script.
Stunning in terms of its visuals, and with enough hope in the end to justify the relentless journey Chris goes on, Sunset Song is a wonderfully presented look back at a harder time, while still making enough comparisons to life today. There are moments where the landscapes just take over and you can easily ignore the story being told. It may seem like a selection of hand-picked moments from the novel, working more as a companion than an independent adaptation, but there is plenty of talent on show and enough heart to warrant a viewing. It certainly isn’t easy going though.
Sunset Song review by Luke Ryan Baldock, December 2015.
Currently screening at the Sydney Film Festival, Sunset Song is available to buy on DVD and Blu-ray in the UK.
